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| 3/13/2010 6:00:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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Courtesy Photo
Orly Lucero, Empire Electric’s senior engineering technician and mayor of Cortez, sits in the Vantage, one of the neighborhood electric vehicles purchased by the city in 2008 to determine how they might work into long term savings for Cortez. |
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City of Cortez plugs in to energy savings
Bobbe Jones
Powerful Solutions
This two-part series highlights four projects initiated by the city of Cortez addressing energy efficiency and conservation while keeping the well-being of its residents in mind.
Seeking ways to reduce energy consumption and operating costs, the city of Cortez started with a basic project and moved to more complex solutions. An agreement to change out streetlights seven years ago was just the beginning. The city tested the water for electric vehicles to be added to its fleet, added solar water heating to the recreation center and will be energizing its small-scale hydro generation plant in April. These projects are part of a long-term sustainability plan to save energy costs while lessening the impact on the environment.
The streetlight project is part of a 2003 franchise agreement between the city of Cortez and Empire Electric. It includes replacing conventional streetlight standards with a more "night sky friendly" version. While this project was originally scheduled for completion over a 10-year period, it will be completed in April, three years earlier than planned.
Orly Lucero, Empire's senior engineering technician and the mayor of Cortez, understands the importance of energy efficient technologies and has furthered his philosophy since 2004, when his term began.
"Cortez is looking forward, researching energy savings that can benefit the community and its citizens," Lucero said.
When the idea arose to experiment with some neighborhood electric vehicles to determine how they might work into long term savings for Cortez, Lucero approved the budget for three different makes and models.
Purchased in June 2008, the NEVs range in price from $14,000 to $20,000. They were placed in three locations and studied in a lifecycle cost analysis to help determine each vehicle's value and how it could fit into the city's future needs.
General Services Director Rick Smith drives the mid-range Vantage. "Operation cost is about 2 cents per mile, but NEVs are not for everyone and need to be used in the right application," Smith said. "I enjoy driving it because it slows me down from my normal fast-paced life. The trade-offs are speed and distance."
Smith cautioned that the NEV is not good on snowpacked roads and is restricted from highway driving. The speed limit dropped to 30 mph along regular NEV routes within the city limits, and caution signs were added to bring awareness to residents.
The two other NEVs include a global electric motorcar, or GEM, used for general maintenance at Cortez Municipal Airport and the higher end Miles used by the Parks and Recreation Department. Top speeds vary between models from 25 to 40 mph, and travel distances range from 25 to 40 miles on a fully charged battery pack. After considering cost analysis and drivers' reports, the city decided to budget for two utility Runabouts to be added to Conquistador Golf Course by 2011.
Jack Nickerson is the public works director and project manager for the city of Cortez micro hydropower plant project. He is synonymous with integral when it comes to the hydro generation project. From the beginning he promoted the idea to the city, prior to construction he completed data gathering and environmental reports, as project manager he is intimately involved during the construction phase, and after its completion he will oversee maintenance and continue reporting data.
Nickerson was working on an audit for the water treatment plant when he found a proposal created by Bruce Smart in 1986. The idea was rejected by the city at that time. However, Nickerson was not discouraged by that. He liked the concept and reintroduced it in 2007. Cortez council members agreed that its time had come and self-funded the preliminary investigative work, including an environmental assessment amounting to around $70,000.
With the facts in hand, it seemed like a viable project and URS Corp. was hired to do a feasibility study. The URS report was positive although contingent on receiving renewable energy credits and energy pricing credits from Empire Electric and its wholesale power provider, Tri-State. Negotiations with the utilities resulted in a 10-year contract for the energy credits generated by the micro hydro project and the RECs.
The $2 million project will generate power year round rather than seasonally like some micro hydro projects affiliated with irrigation seasons. This means that the energy pricing credits have more value to Tri-State and are reflected in the contract credit.
The project's projected payback is 17-18 years with an estimated 100 years of lifetime for the plant.
Nickerson reflects on the projects merits.
"Cortez will gain a revenue stream for decades to come," he said. "We've been wasting this energy for nearly 30 years, ever since McPhee Dam was built, and now it can be used."
Financing for the project comes from a $500,000 grant from Department of Local Affairs of the State of Colorado and a $1.5 million loan at 2 percent interest from the Colorado Water Resources and Power Authority. The electricity generated by the micro hydroelectric plant in conjunction with the RECs will completely pay for the project with no funding coming from the city's general fund.
Southwest Contractors started construction in December and expect to finish by mid-April. Water will enter the facility through underground pipes and vary from 2 cubic feet per second in the winter to 8 cubic feet per second in summer. Electrical generation will vary with the water levels with a maximum output of 240 kilowatts or enough to power 200 homes.
There is a lot of potential for micro hydroelectric generation, but it remains a highly specialized technology. Finding local experts to build the plant's generator was not an option. It was built in Washington, the next bid coming from Great Britain. The Department of Energy estimates 30,000 megawatts of potential energy could be realized at 5,677 undeveloped sites across the United States, more than half of which already have dams.
Nickerson and the city of Cortez understand the importance of using natural resources. Nickerson summed up his enthusiasm when he states, "Cortez is a leader in micro hydro generation in the state of Colorado."
Part 2 of this article will appear in the April issue and discusses the Cortez Recreation Center energy saving upgrades.
Bobbe Jones is the Assistant Member Services Manager with Empire Electric, 801 N. Broadway, Cortez. Empire Electric Association is working with the community to save energy and money.
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